Umbrella construction



March 4, 1930. c. H. VENNER. JR

UMBRELLA CONSTRUCTION s Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1926 BY I 2 5 W ATTORNEY March 4, 1930. c. H. VENNER, JR

UMBRELLA CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 25, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet Br s M A TTORNEY March 4, 1930. c. H. VENNER. JR 1,749,363

UMBRELLA CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 23, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet s Nut:

INVENTOR Clarence )rmcr Jr.

ATTORNEY Bpn/ I Patented Mar. 4, 1930- cnanniqcn n. vnmvnn, a., on NEW YORK, 11'. Y.

UMBRELLA CONSTRUCTION This invention relates to an umbrella or sunshade and method of making same.

I An object of the invention is to provide a simple, eflicient, durable frame which is v 5 economical to manufacture, easily assembled f A further object is to-prov1de a cover of such style and construction that it can be readily made in materials and designs to harmonize with the wearers apparel.

In umbrellas of the usual type, the frames are relatively rigid when the umbrella is open and the covers are so firmly secured to the frame that when a strong wind gets "umbrellas, the covers are not easily removunder the umbrella cover, the umbrella is blown inside out and both the cover and the frame are damaged. Furthermore in most able and are generally made of expensive frame, heavy and cumbersome and if of high in position on the frame. The frame elematerial. Furthermore umbrellas are generally, both incover material and 1n the grade material are expensive.

In accordance with my invention, I provide an umbrella. having a flexible frame of wire, to which is removably attached a cover of material such as paper, cloth or linen, silk, etc., whichis reinforced and shrunk when ments are so connected to the crown member and'runner of the umbrella and to each other that they form a series of truss members which are substantially rigid on their inner ends, but much-more flexible along their outer portions to permit the frame to bow in one direction or another under the pressure of the wind without damaging either the frame or'the cover.

I provide an umbrella in which the stick may be of wood, the upper endv of which is slotted with the lower ends of the slots Application filed August 23, 1926. Serial No. 130,816.

tapered flush with the surface of the stick; Against the top of the stick is disposed a crown element, slotted and grooved to receive the bent ends of ribs, the crown element being held against the stick by a screw, nail, or the like. The stick is provided with a runner sleeve to which the ends of bracing members are pivoted in such manner as to project into. the slots to prevent the sleeve from turning on the stick and to cause the bracing members to jam in the slots when they are moved by the runner sleeve to the lower ends of'the slots. The ribs and bracing members are preferably of wire which at their outer ends are connected integrally or otherwise to form a frame. Intermediate their lengths the ribs and the bracing members are looped around eachother to form a sliding connection. Between the sliding connection and the stick these elements form a substantially rigid truss and beyond the sliding connection they form a flexible support fora cover which is disposed on the frame. Rigidity ofthe truss member gives the frame strength and the flexibility of the outer portions thereof permitit to flex readily in either direction in response to the wind pressure. The truss, effect of the frame permits the ribs when open to be maintained. in any desired contour so that the cover is maintained with a smooth and even appearance.

By varying the distance of the looped sliding connection from, the end of the truss member the contour of the outer portion of the frame can be changed;

By -.varyin the distance along the bracing member etween thelooped connection and the inner end of the bracing member the general slope of the ribs with respect to the stick canbe varied;

The cover of the umbrella is preferably made .of paper, silk or other material of one or more pieces with the central portion reinforced by linen or heavy cloth, silk, etc., and its edges bent over to form a reinforcing stiffening hem. The hem and the central rein.-

forcement are glued or otherwise fastened to shrinks on the frame and becomes tight fitting and smooth thereon, the shrinking taking place" circumferentially. The central portion of the cover by reason of the shrinking action of the reinforced center will generally be disposed away from the'top of the stick and thus allow a certain amount of play to the cover on the frame as the frame is bowed in one direction or another by the wind.

Under some circumstances the cover is provided with a ferrule to more closely simulate an ordinary umbrella, said ferrule being connected to the cover and is bored to receive a pin extending from the top of the stick to which the ferrule is latched in a manner hereinafter to be described so that the cover in this instance is held securely to the top of the stick and yet can be readily removed therefrom.

The invention further includes a modified form of crown, element whereby a heavier stick can be used when desired and requires merely a slight alteration in the shape of the ribs employed as hereinafter described.

The preferred forms of the invention are illustrated in the drawings, of which Fig. l is a side elevation of one form of the umbrella in the open position with certain portions in sections;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken through the crown element showing the ribs in place;

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section taken through the crown element and the upper end of the stick;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the lower crown element;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of the upper crown element;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of a frame member showing a straight rib;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a frame member showing a bent rib; Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical section of the upper end of the umbrella with a ferrule attached to the cover;

' Fig. 10 is a horizontal section taken on the line 1010 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a similar section taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is an elevation of the upper end of the umbrella with the frame elements in their closed position and with the cover removed;

Fig. 13 is an elevation of the runner;

Fig. 14 is a partial vertical section through the crown of the cover;

Fig. 15 is an elevation of the upper end of this: form of umbrellawhich employs a bent r1 Fig. 16 is a partial plan view of the top of the form of umbrella shown in Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is a section taken on the line 1717 of Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a partial perspective view of the manner in which the end of the frame elements fit into pockets in the cover;

Fig. 19 is a plan view of the cover showing certain portions stretched and certain portions unstretched;

Fig. 20 shows a modified form of frame element.

In the preferred forms of the invention shown in the drawings, the umbrella construction comprises a stick 30, the upper end of which is provided with a plurality of slots 31 extending to the top of the stick. The lower ends 32 of the slots are tapered gradually until they are flush with the surface of the. stick. This stick is preferably made of wood and is embraced by a runner member comprising two sleeves 33 and 34. The sleeve 33 is disposed at the upper end of the stick adjacent the slots 31 and the sleeve 34 is disposed near the bottom of the stick adjacent the handle. These runner sleeves are connected by rods 35. The upper end of the sleeve 33, see Fig. 12, is provided with a bead 36 and apertures 37 through which are looped the hooked ends 38 of bracing members 39. These holes are formed in the sleeve member in line with the slots 31 and a portion of the hooked ends 38 of the bracing members 39 project into the corresponding slots 31 so that the runner sleeve 33 is prevented from turning circumferentially on the stick.

. The bracing members 39, preferably formed of wire, extend normally outwardly when the umbrella is open, as shown in Fig. 1 and are preferably integrally formed at their outer ends withrib members 40, also of wire. The integral connection of the ribs and the bracing members, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, form a U shape at their outer connected ends. Intermediate their ends the rib and bracing members are connected by a sliding connection formed by making a loop 41 in the bracing member around the rib. The rib at its free end is bent at right angles to its main portion, this bent portion forming a sort of hook 42. In one form of rib, as shown in Fig. 7, the entire length of the rib is straight, whereas in the form shown in Fig.

ing alig'ned slots 48 and grooves 49 which ribs pivot in the crown member. The base portion 45 is provided with dependent ears 50 which project into certain of the slots 31 in order to hold the crown member from turning on the stick. The cap portion of the crown member is provided with a downwardly'turned flange 51 extending over the outer periphery of the base portion 45. The cap and base member of the crown element are held on'the stick preferably by a' screw 52. This form of crown member is one which is adapted to receive the ribs of the type shown in Fig. 7 which are straight.

The type of crown shown in Figs. 15, 16 and 17 isa one piece affair comprising a cap of stamped metal, having a centrally depressed portion 53 adapted to lie flat on the top of thestick and a lateral flange 55 which is adapted to lie against the edge of the stick.

This cap is held in place by the screw 52. This form of cap is provided with slots 56 and grooves57 to receive the hooked portions of the ribs of the type shown in Fig. 8 which I call bent ribs. As shown in 'Fig. 15, the

edges of the flange 55 are bent slightly inwardly as shown at 58 so as to interlock with the slots and prevent the cap from turning on the stick.

The cover which I propose to use in connection with this umbrella is preferably made of paper, although linen, cotton, silk, etc., can be used. In Figs. 1 to 19 I show this cover 59, preferably as made of paper. It may be made of onepiece or aplurality of pieces, but in most cases made either from one or two pieces. It is shown as hexagonal in shape with a turned over hem 60 at the edge, which is preferably glued, and a central reinforcing element 61, see Fig. 14, preferably of cloth glued or sewed to the central portion. At the meeting points of the edges, as shown in Figs. 18 and 19 particularly, I provide an insert 62, preferably of heavy linen or other material which is suitably manufactured in the form of a pocket disposed .in these corners of the cover and provided with. laterally extending wings 63 and 64. This pocket is glued or sewed in place and the edge of the hem is glued over it, as shown in Fig. 18 to firmly hold it in position. The

I wings of the pocket element provides a firm foundation for holding it in position and to prevent-the paper from tearing loose from the rib. The ends of the frame construction are adapted to enter these pockets to hold the cover on the frame and from which the cover can readily be removed.

After the cover is mounted on the frame it is preferably dipped into a waterproofing solufion and turned therein by hand so as to thoroughly impregnate the entire surface with the waterproofing material. It is found that by reason of the fact that the edge and the center of the cover are already finished and fastened that the cover does not shrink radially but does shrink, to its final form and fit circumferentially, so as to produce a smooth tight fit on the frame when dry. As shown in Fig. 19, the sections A, B, C, are illustrated as unstretched, whereas the sections D,E, and F are illustrated as stretched. A solution which I may use to waterproof the cover is a mixture of gums and oils or spirit varnishes. However, any suitable solution can be used which will be taken up b the cover in a simple dipping process an dry quickly and yet uniformly so as to cause a uniform shrinking of the cover on the frame. The solution used in waterproofing the paper gives it a semi-transparent appearance.

In order to give the construction an appearance more like the ordinary umbrella and also to more firmly hold the cover on the frame, especially at the central point, I provide, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9, a ferrule 65. This ferrule has a bore 66 to receive a pin 67 mounted on the top of screw 52. The upper end of this pin is flattened out transversely to form a latch bar 68. When a ferrule is used the cover at its central portion is provided with an opening and an additional layer of reinforcing material 69, see Fig. 9, preferably of heavy paper or cloth or other material is bent up as at 70, partly into the bore 66 of the ferrule to form a sleeve within the bore. This sleeve is provided with lateral slots 71 and 72 which permit the passage therebetween. of the ends of the latch bar 68 in one position of the ferrule with respect to the pin, but in any other position of the ferrule with the pin the ends of the latch bar 68 will encounter the upper edge of the sleeve 70 and prevent the cover and the ferrule from being moved off the pin.

In the operation of the device having to do with its assembly and functioning after assembly, thestick, preferably of wood, is

provided with the slots 31 as described. The base member 45 of the crown is then disposed on top of the stick, the ends of the ribs of the type shown in Fig. 7 are placed in the grooves in the base member and then the cap portion of the crown is placed thereover and the screw 52 holds the two together. In the form of the crown shown in Fig. 3 the diameter of the crown is greater than the diameter of the stick permitting asmaller sized stick to be used and in this case by reason of this overhang, a straight rib, as shown in Fig. 7, can be usedbecause when the ribs are in the position shown in Fig. 9 with the umbrella frame closed, a slight curvature in the ribs at their upper ends, as indicated by the numeral 73, Fig. 9, will permit the ribs when closed to clear the stick. The lips 50 on the base member of the crown are bentinto the slots and thus prevent the crown from turning.

The ends of the bracing members 39, provided with the hooked portions38 are en- 5 gaged in the holes 37 in the runner 33 and by lying in the slots prevent the runner from turning. Preferably the ribs and bracing members are made of one piece of wire bent in a U shape at their outer ends,'the bracing member looped over the rib member as at 41 to form a sliding connection. By having the runner formed of two sleeves 33 and 34: connectedtby rod 35, the sleeve 33 can be operated through the sleeve 34 with the hand of the operator disposed down near the handle of the stick, it not being necessary to insert the hand substantially up beneath the cover when opening or closing it. To open the umbrella the stick is held in one hand and pointed downwardly and then given a turn which will throw the frame elements outwardly and downwardly by centrifugal force and then the other hand grasps the auxiliary runner sleeve and pulls it toward the handle thus jamming the bracing members in the slots and locking the frame in a rigid position. To close the umbrella it is merely necessary to hold the stick upwardly and push upward on the auxiliary sleeve. This relieves the jam of the pivoted bracing members in the slots of the f stick and the umbrella closes as the tension of the bracing members at the sliding connection are relieved and the wire springs back to its natural position.' The paper cover will fold naturally and can be rolled around the stick and fastened in this position by means ,of the usual string and button. The cover is cut toform either in one or two pieces and is bent over along the outer 40 edge to form a hem which is glued down. The portion of reinforcement 61 is then glued to the central part of the cover and these glued portions naturally shrink and make these parts of the cover stiff. As shown in Fig. 14', the central part of the cover is not provided with an opening when a ferrule is not to be used and by reason of the shrinkage of the central portion, this part will be disposed away. from the top of the stick and tend to exert a uniform radial pull on the remainder of the cover.

When a ferrule is to be used, the cover at the central portion is provided with an opening and the additional reinforcement 69, the inner end of which is bent above to form the sleeve previously referred to.

After the cover is thus far manufactured,

the reinforced pocketsprevious to or \simultaneous with the gluing or sewing of the hem are inserted in thecorners of the cover and glued therebetween and thereby held firmly in place, especially in View of the lateral wing portions which make the area of contact between the pockets and the cover 55 of sufiicient amount to insure a firm seating of the annular reinforcement 69 are bent up to form a sleeve 70 engaging with the inner surface of the bore and fastened to the ferrule. In this case the screw 52 is provided with the pin 67 and when the cover is ready to be put on the frame the pin is inserted into the bore of the ferruleby slipping the latch bar 68 up through the slots 71 and 72 and then giving the ferrule a slight twist which- Will disalign the ends of the latch bar and the slots and thus latch the ferrule on to the pin. The ribs are then disposed with their ends in the pockets and the cover is ready to be dipped.

When a crown member of the construction shown in Figs. 15, 16 and 17 is to be used, the crown member does not project beyond the stick but is provided with grooves 57 to receive the ends of the ribs of the type shown in Fig. 8. In order for these ribs therefore to lie close to the stick when the frame is closed the upper portions of ,these ribs are offset, as shown at 43 in Figs. 8 and 15, so that these portions will lie in the upper portions of the grooves 31, otherwise the two kinds of ribs are of the same general construction. v

It may sometimes be desirable to form the ribs and bracing members of separate pieces of wire, in which case the rib members can be of smaller diameter than the bracing members. This form is shown in Fig. 20 in which the rib member 74 is slightly smaller than the bracing member 75, the ends of these members areheld together by a sleeve 7 6 into which they fit. A sliding connection between these members" instead of being in the form of a loop may be provided by a metal clip 77 which firmly embraces one of the members, preferably the bracing member 7 5, and loosely embraces the rib member to effect a sliding connection in this different manner.

I claim:

1. An umbrella construction comprising a flexible frame and a removable waterproof cover shrunk thereon.

2. An umbrella construct-ion comprising in combination a stick,:a flexible Wire frame pivotally and slidably mounted thereon and, a removable waterproof cover shrunk on said frame.

3. In an umbrella frame a stick, a rib member' pivotally connected to the stick, a bracing member slidably connected to the stick at a point spaced from the rib, the body por tion of one of said members being bent around the other in the form of a loop to form a sliding connection at a point radially distant from the stick, said members extending beyond said point, the frame members between the stick and the point of slidable connection forming a truss, said members beyond the point of slidable connection being flexible for movement in either direction.

4. An umbrella construction comprising a slotted stick, a runner on the stick, bracing members pivoted to the runner and projecting into the slots, the lower ends of the slots tapered flush with the stick to jam and lock the ends of the bracing members therein, when the runner is moved to the lower end of the slots.

5. An umbrella construction comprising a slotted stick, a runner on said stick, bracing members pivoted to the runner, and projecting into the slots to prevent the runner from turning on the stick.

6. An umbrella construction including a frame element comprising rib and bracing members free at one end and connected to gether at the other end, the body portion of one of said members being bent" around the other in the form of a loop intermediate the ends of said members to form a loose sliding connection.

An umbrella construction including a frame comprising rib and bracing members of wire, free at one end and integrally connected at the other, the body portion of one of said members being bent around the other in the form of a loop to provide a loose sliding connection intermediate the ends of said loop, the free end of the bracing members bent to form an eye, and the free end of the rib bent at right angles thereto.

- 8. An umbrella construction comprising a slotted stick, a crown member on said stick, a runner on said stick, ribs pivoted to the crown member, bracing members connected to the ribs and pivoted to the runner, the ends of the bracing members projecting into the slots to prevent the runner from turning on the stick, means on the crown member engaging in a slot to prevent the crown member from turning on the stick.

9. An umbrella construction comprising a stick, a flexible wire frame mounted thereon, a cover of reinforced shrunk material disposed on said frame and pockets on said cover to -'receive the ends of the frame, re.- inforcement at the central portion of the cover, said cover being shrunk so that the center of the cover is drawn up away from the stick.

10. An umbrella construction comprising a stick, a pin extending upwardly from said stick having a transverse latch bar at its upper end, a cover having a bored ferrule, a slotted sleeve within said ferrule through which slots the bar on said pin is adapted to be moved, said ferrule adapted to be turned to disalign the bar from the slots when the bar is disposed within the bore to hold the crown member to prevent their turning on the stick, the inner portion of the frame element being substantially rigid and the outer portions-being substantially flexible, a cover of waterproof fabric having a reinforced center and edge, reinforced pockets disposed along the edge of the cover to receive the ends of the frame elements, a ferrule connected to the outer central surface of the cover, said ferrule having a bore, an auxiliary sheet of reinforced material on the inner surface of the cover, the inner portion of said sheet turned up into said bore to form a sleeve, said sleeve being slotted, a pin extending from the crown attaching member on the stick and having a radially extending latch bar on its ends adapted to be moved into the bore of the ferrule through the slots in said sleeve and engage the upper end of said sleeve when disaligned from said to the stick.

12. An' umbrella construction comprising a cover, a frame on which the cover is mounted and a stick on which the frame is mounted, said cover having a reinforced crown and edge, reinforced pockets disposed along the edge to engage with the'end of the frame, said cover having a hole at the crown, a ferrule on the cover at the crown and means extending through the hole in the cover from the stick detachably engaging the ferrule to hold the cover on the stick but spaced therefrom at the crown.

13. An umbrella construction including a frame element comprising a rib and a bracing member, said members connected together at their outer ends and to a stick at their in-, ner ends at spaced points along said stick, one of saidmembers being looped over the other intermediate their ends, the distance of the point of.formation of said loop from the outer end of the frame element determining the shape of theouter edge of the frame,

slot to hold the cover on the distance of the point of formation of the York and State of New York, this 20th i' 

